'Vegas': Michael Chiklis gambles Friday is 'a better place for us'

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The Emmy-winning veteran of “The Shield” is anticipating the move of his current CBS series to Fridays starting April 5. He reports the spirits and enthusiasm were high at the first-season wrap party Sunday (March 24), but as much he wants another round of playing mob-connected 1960s hotel and casino manager Vincent Savino, he knows nothing is certain until an official renewal comes.

“A lot of people try to play television executive, and the fact of the matter is that they really don’t know what they’re talking about,” the warm and candid Chiklis reasons to Zap2it. “The television landscape has changed dramatically, particularly over the last five years, so a lot of this nonsense about [appealing to] ‘the key demographic’ is over. It’s no longer relevant.

“Fifteen million eyeballs is a lot of people, and if you add our live ratings to the DVR viewings, that’s roughly the amount of people watching this show. Whether you’re 18 or 80, that’s a pair of eyeballs, and I think that’s becoming the common wisdom … as it should be.”

Chiklis also directs the April 12 “Vegas” episode, something he did several times during his award-honored run as ferociously self-styled police detective Vic Mackey on “The Shield.” The Tuesday hour that belonged to “Vegas” will remain occupied by the police drama “Golden Boy,” which changed from temporary guest to lasting resident there when its initial ratings came in.

“We all feel that this will be a better place for us,” Chiklis says of the Friday move. “A lot of people who want to watch this show are working people with families and children. They have to get up the next morning, and Tuesday night at 10 is a difficult slot for them. They’re suffering to stay up ’til 11.”

Also, Chiklis adds, “A lot of people take in their television differently now. I know do; I’ll buy a whole season of a show and watch it in three days sometimes. And I also know a lot of people are watching this show worldwide. Dennis Quaid is a big, giant movie star.

“You can’t ignore that there’s billions of people all around the world. and if they like the show, it creates a tremendous amount of revenue. That can underwrite the entire cost of making the show.”